1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to game score boards and more particularly to score boards for keeping the scores of single and multiple players playing the various games of darts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Darts is a game which may be played in a variety of ways. While all dart games employ a target and a group of throwing darts for each opponent, the manner in which a game may be played and scored can be varied in many ways. The game of darts has evolved into a number of different games, each having a different set of rules as well as different scoring arrangements. The games differ primarily in the arithmetics involved by which the individual scores obtained by each of the players, throwing successive sets of darts at the target, are added or subtracted to achieve a winning score. Some of these games have rather elaborate or complex scoring rules, whereas the scoring rules for other games is less complex.
The "standard game" of darts among the majority of dart players is probably the most popular. The game starts with an initial score which may be 301, 401, 501, 701, etc. The object of the standard game is to get rid of points. This reduction of points is accomplished by each player, in turn, throwing a set of three darts. A set score is obtained by adding the numbers of the dart board segments on which each of the three darts has landed. This set score is subtracted from the beginning score (e.g. 301 if that score is chosen as the beginning or initial score). The set score achieved by each player taking his turn throwing the set of three darts is subtracted from the beginning score of each player to obtain a first intermediate score for each player. Successive sets of three darts are thrown by turns of the opposing players to obtain further intermediate scores by subtracting each intermediate score from the previous corresponding intermediate score of each player to further reduce the scores of the respective players. The game ends when a player's last dart is thrown and the scoring of that dart is twice (referred to as a double) the number equal to one half the last intermediate score of that player throwing his dart.
The above standard game is one class of games wherein intermediate scores are subtracted from a beginning score. A second popular game, referred to generally as "cricket", is somewhat more complex than the standard game and differs from that game in that intermediate scores are added to accumulate a final or ending score.
In the game of cricket the players are required to score three dart landings in each of the dart board beds (also referred to as pies) numbered 15 through 20 plus three darts in the bullseye. Each number (15-20) represents scoring possibilities. In addition, as is well known in the standard game of darts, doubles and trebles when hit by a dart are worth their normal values. To score on a particular number, a player must bring that number alive by hitting it three times. Once accomplished, any dart thrown into that number by that player with it alive scores. If the opponent places three darts in that same live number, that number becomes dead (i.e., it is no longer in the game). In the game of cricket, the beginning score is zero and successive score points are added to keep an increasing total of the point scores for each player. Thus a cumulative point score is kept for each of the players. The winner of the game is the player who first lands three darts in each of the beds, or pies, between 15 and 20, three bulleyes, and who has the highest point score.
The above descriptions have provided the basic highlights of scoring for the various games of darts, however, those descriptions are not detailed. For detailed information regarding practically all aspects of the games of darts, reference is made to the book entitled--All About Darts, by I. L. Brackin and W. Fitzgerald, Published by Contemporary Books, Inc.; Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76-29366; International Standard Book Number: 0-8092-4984-7.
Historically, dart game scores have been kept by recording the scores on a chalk board. Dry erase ink boards are also sometimes used as score boards. The use of these types of score boards have several short comings. The legibility of the scores is directly dependent upon the hand writing quality of the score keeper. Because the game of darts is most frequently played in "Pubs" and "Taverns", the quality and visibility of the scores to the players and the audience may not be totally adequate for viewing. In addition, chalk dust has a tendency to accumulate on the floor and adjacent furnishings. This accumulation can require an expensive clean up problem for Tavern proprietors. Further, the chalk dust on the floor has a tendency to be tracked around the tavern by customers and players, thus necessitating further clean up expense.
Because of the foregoing short comings, attempts have been made to construct various types of mechanical, electrical and electronic score keeping devices which would eliminate the contamination and clean up problems attendant with blackboards and also provide score numbers of sufficient size for adequate viewing by the audience and the players. While these devices may eliminate the clean up problems heretofore described, they have been, for the most part, commercially unsuccessful because of the expense and inconvenience attributed to; initial cost, spare or replacement parts costs, service repair costs (i.e., labor), and/or lack of quick and easy maintainability by the owner.
Various types of dart score keeping apparatus, including other types of game score keeping devices, are known to exist and which include all mechanical apparatus, as well as electronic devices having circuits for calculating scores and displays of various types for displaying those scores. Different types of these scoring devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 700,738; 783,955; 935,844; 1,953,630; 4,003,579; 4,651,998, 4,567,461; and 4,948,148.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that a need exists for a dart game score board apparatus which can be manufactured at reasonably low cost and which provides the attributes of: (i) ease of maintenance by the user or owner; (ii) rapid repair due to easily replaceable parts (an important feature during tournament play); (iii) large numerical display to enable players and spectators to readily see the scores of the players; (iv) allows players to play different types of dart games; and, (v) eliminates the mess historically caused by chalk board score keeping devices, thus eliminating the need for clean up and the costs associated therewith.